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EU bars Med-View Airline over safety concerns

The European Commission has barred a Nigerian carrier, Med-View Airline, from operating in its airspace over safety concerns.

The airline is one of those under the EU Air Safety List Annex A, which have been banned from operating in Europe.

A total of 181 airlines were prevented from flying into Europe, with 174 airlines barred due to safety oversight by aviation authorities in their home countries.

The EU Air Safety List is a list of non-European airlines that do not meet international safety standards and are, therefore, subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union.

In the updated version, all carriers from Benin Republic and Mozambique were removed from the list, while four individual airlines, one each from Nigeria, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ukraine and Zimbabwe, were added.

Med-View said in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Business Development and Commercials, Mr. Isiaq Na’Allah, on Thursday that the ban was not as its Lagos-London flight remained unaffected and that it had since been operating on the route with its wet-leased aircraft.

According to the airline, the ban falls under exception rule in EASA, Annex A, which states that air carriers listed in the annex can be permitted to exercise traffic rights by using wet-leased aircraft of an air carrier, which is not subject to an operating ban.

“There is no basis for alarm as the Lagos-London flight remains unaffected. We at Med-View Airline are committed to safety, and currently working with EASA and the NCAA to restore normalcy,” Na’Allah said.

He added that the airline had on Wednesday, May 17, 2017 operated its normal schedule flight to London.

Na’Allah stated, “It will be recalled that in March 2016, Med-View Airline passed through one of the most stringent operations audit of the global airlines’ body, the International Air Transport Association, after which it was issued with the International Operational Safety Audit.

“The airline has secured a B777 aircraft leased from an EU-member state to boost its international operations, which will soon join the fleet.”

Meanwhile, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc, Mr. Norbert Bielderman, has resigned his appointment.

NAHCO said in a statement on Thursday that Beilderman, who had submitted the notice of his resignation with a three-month notice, would formally disengage from the company on August 13, 2017.

According to the company, Bielderman joined NAHCO Aviance in May 2010, was appointed executive director, operations on December 6, 2013, named the acting managing director in October 2014 and confirmed in April 2015.

The company said it had since made other changes, including the retirement of Dr. Faruk Umar, who was appointed a director representing minority shareholders on the Board on June 22, 2011, and his replacement by Sir Sunny Nwosu.

“With an eye to tapping into emerging opportunities in the energy and aviation infrastructure sectors, the board has approved the immediate appointment of Mrs. Folashade Ode as the new acting MD/CEO of NAHCO Energy, Power and Infrastructure.”